Another top Sixers pick won’t play all year

“The Process” has been very frustrating for many Philadelphia 76ers fans. The process of selling off anyone worth a damn so that you can get so bad that you can get the top picks in the NBA Draft. That, argued Sam Hinkie, was the only way to build an elite team.

And for the most part, I agree. You can’t move when you are the 7th or the 8th seed every year with no hope of beating one of the top teams in the NBA Playoffs every year, but getting a mid-round draft pick that really isn’t worth a damn anymore. Adding Marreese Speights to a seven seed isn’t going to get you over the top to a championship.

So, the Sixers have had numerous high picks in the last four or so years, and they almost always have something in common. They ain’t playing their rookie year. Nerlens Noel…sat out his rookie year following ACL tear. Joel Embiid…didn’t play his first two years. As a fan it’s frustrating to draft these shiny new objects that you don’t even get to play with. Only Jahlil – sigh – Okafor played right away.

This year, it’s Ben Simmons’ turn. General manager Brian Colangelo just announced that the Jones fracture in Simmons’ foot that has sidelined him all year, isn’t fully healed and he won’t play all season.

Wonderful.

Conspiracy theorists can wonder why Joel Embiid seems to have a lingering knee injury that Embiid himself doesn’t think is all that bad. At one point this season, the Sixers were on a 10-3 tear, were beating good teams, and looked like a good team themselves. Not “not terrible,” but actually good. Hmmm…do the Sixers want another high draft pick? Are they not ready to win games yet? Again, that’s conspiracy theory stuff, but this organization is so tight lipped (and liars then they do speak), it’s fair to wonder.

So, there you go Sixers fans. Have fun watching Dario Saric develop all by his lonesome.